Hi Reader,

Welcome to the Google Sheets Tips newsletter #388, your Monday morning espresso, in spreadsheet form!

➜ Sheets Tip #388: Merged Cells

To many power users who live in spreadsheets, merged cells are often treated like a patch of poison ivy on a hiking trail.

They see them, turn their nose up, and steer well clear.

But are they always the villain? Let's find out.

Why Purists Cringe At Merged Cells

In a structured dataset or a table, merged cells are, quite frankly, a nightmare.

They wreak havoc on the fundamental "rules" of the spreadsheet.

• Sorting & Filtering: if you try to sort or filter a column with merged cells, you'll get this error message: "You can't sort a range containing merged cells".
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• Data Integrity: If you merge cells A1 and B1, Google Sheets technically only stores the data in A1. If you try to reference B1 later, the sheet thinks it's completely empty. See the image below for an illustration of this.
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• Broken Navigation: Trying to use Ctrl + Arrow keys to zip around your work? A merged cell acts like a fallen log across the path, stopping your cursor dead in its tracks.

When to Embrace Merged Cells

Now, if you aren't working with datasets, but rather a Visual Dashboard or a presentation Sheet, then merging cells is actually a fantastic tool for creating something that looks clean and professional.

• Custom Headers: I love using them for dashboard headers, where you merge a large block to create a bold, professional title area.

• Adding Context: Merging cells along the top or the sides of a table can help group categories together visually, making a report much easier for a human to read at a glance.

The Verdict

Use merged cells for formatting only.

They should NEVER be used inside data tables, because of the potential for errors.

All that being said, I use them often for making my project management Sheets more readable.

For more information on merged cells, including examples of errors and beautiful formatting ideas, have a read of this article:

​How To Merge Cells In Google Sheets And When To Be Careful​

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Have a great week!

Cheers,
Ben

P.S. The difference between how Brits and Americans refer to waste makes all the difference 😂